Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai (R) meets with Greek Deputy Prime Minister Yiannis Dragasakis in Athens, Greece, Dec. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China and Greece have vowed to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai, while holding talks with Greek Deputy Prime Minister Yiannis Dragasakis, said Thursday that Sino-Greek relations have witnessed steady and rapid development in recent years, especially in the areas of economic and investment cooperation.

He said China COSCO Shipping's Piraeus Port project is a good example of win-win cooperation of the two countries.

Ma noted that both China and Greece are in key stages of reform and development, and the two countries should join hands to consolidate and further develop the momentum of cooperation in all fields.

The vice premier suggested the two sides should seize the historical opportunity of the development of the Belt and Road Initiative to step up all-round cooperation, promote practical cooperation through major projects, support cooperation between financial institutions in various ways, enhance balanced development by expanding trade and economic cooperation, and deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Dragasakis said Greece attaches great importance to the development of the relations with China, and actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative. He said Greece wishes to make use of its status as a regional hub to strengthen cooperation under the initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative, championed by China, focuses on development of new road and maritime trade routes connecting a large swathe of Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa.